alanmin4304

I put the sand through a kitchen seive and collect the larger sand and wash that. Place the finer stuff unwashed in the tank with micronutrient then put the washed stuff on top and the plants love it.

It doesn't matter how a filter is constructed or how it runs it is the food that mainly controls the bacterial numbers. The bacterial numbers will form a balance with the food available. If the food decreases or increases so will the bacterial numbers. The filter is just a place for the bugs to hang out.

I would have to agree with Ira. Without food the bacteria cannot thrive and multply. With enough food I am sure they could find somewhere to live.

They don't like being disturbed so will be most productive if you leave them to develop a good clump before seperating them.

How about the possibility that they know better than us why they eat wood and we are still trying to find out.

Thanks for the correctin speeling was never my best subtect.

A pump pulling may be subject to capitation.

Teathe

Sorry. I stand corrected---It will almost kill you.

Does it make you absenthe minded?

I think that people get confused between proof and %wv with alcohol. Proof is twice the %wv so I think you would mean 89proof which would be 44.5%wv (about the same as a good whiskey). It does not matter how many times you distil it you always get no more than about 97% because of its affinity for water. You need to remove the water chemically to get it stronger. 89% alcohol would kill you.

Perhaps I was not clear. What I meant was they are not keen on spawning until the water is over 20 deg C and the tadpoles do better in rain water full of algae.

I understand they they don't care a lot for music or champagne but do enjoy rainwater over 20deg C and rain during the night (10pm to 2am goes down a treat).

The pictures are not very clear but going by the fourth pic the lateral line looks broken which would indicate that they could be southern bells. If they are, then they will survive, but the aurea have been introduced pretty well all over NZ but only survive in the top of the North Island.

You are so subtall.

I would plant most stem plants in bunches of 3 to allow light to reach them.

The other thing that is confusing is the status of reptiles. Because a reptile was legally brought into the country with the correct permits and paper work does not mean that it was legally released into the pet trade. It may be legally here but only legally kept in licenced zoos. So what about those that were brought in legally before paperwork was required. It would be very useful if Maf were to put out in writing what reptiles can legally be kept in private hands and which cannot.

The best food value is in the yolk sac they are feeding off so the food value declines from the minute they hatch. Best value is to do a fresh hatch every day and feed out as soon as they hatch.

I use the old coke bottle trick but put a small heater in as well.

If you are feeding a number of tanks use an eye dropper to rinse the bbs from the strainer into a glass with a little fresh water, then distribute it with eye dropper to each tank and this way you will avoid spreading any diseases. The eye droppers I use are actually bigger than normal and are a small pippette from the chemist used for measuring medications for babies. Also ideal for picking up newly hatched killi fry.

Fastpost is cheaper if you cut the carton down to a size that makes them happy. They have a free handout at the post office that gives you the sizes (but not prices) so if you ask the prices and right them down you will be onto it in the new year. Overnight courier is quicker but dearer so it depends what you are sending. If you don't write it all over the package they will not know and therefore will not worry. Plants and livestock are not permitted articles by post so you have no claim if it goes missing anyway.

Where is the number 8 wire you Kiwi you?

Best wishes to all.

A few of the oldies (like me) would have had it 30 odd years ago as it was a permitted import then but very difficult to keep alive. You might do better using UV on a filter now days, but certainly not easy to keep. Virtually extinct in the wild now.

Hard enough to keep alive without propagating them.